Illuminated sign character



vFeb. 18, 1958 H. HOTCHNER v 2,823,474

I ILLUMINATED SIGN CHARACTER Filed June 8, 1953 2 SheetS -Sheet 1 676.3 INVENTOR. f/ara/a flak/940.

H HHHHHH ER INATED SIGN CHARACTER J 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 une 8, 1953 Flled "Him. will! f Unite The present invention relates to a display character having a raised face provided with contour or border shades arranged adjacent to at least a part of an open character conforming channel. These components are all preferably in color contrast and adapted for illumination to present optimum display qualities.

As is well known in the art, the optimum color combination for daylight legibility is black on a light yellow background, generally not achieved in illuminated displays due to the fact that reflected light illuminating the character face is desirable. The raised character face of the device of the present invention is not directly illuminated, being in silhouette, and, therefore, it may be dark in color. The background surface, which becomes visible through the open channel of the character face, is used for reflection, being a light color, the shades preferably appearing as a dark shadow cast by the character during the daytime. Such a combination enables the highest daylight legibility with maximum reflective contrast. f

For nighttime use, the display character, herein illustratively considered as a sign, is-illuminated by a source interposed between the character face and background, being removed from the open channel and obscured from the viewer by the character face. In utilizing the light source to. its maximum efficiency, the inside surface of the character face is also highly light reflective; It may coincide in color with the background, inwhich case light is reflected through the open channel thereby providing a brilliant central-illumination. The shades comprise generally unsaturated colors which are light transmissive so that upon illumination of the character the shades are illuminated to a greater extent than the dark character face, but have a substantially lower illumination than that of the open channel. In the mostgeneral formof the invention, the shades extend outwardly of the character face andin a plane substantially coincident therewith. The shades are usually spaced from the background to permit reflected light to escape beyond the edges thereof andipr e sent the effect of glow about the character where shaded (background highlight although the character sides. appear dark for unshaded portions.

With the foregoingin mind, among the objects of the present invention are the following: the provision of a shaded display effective both in the dayand nighttime; the provision of a display admitting of optimum color combination for legibility; the provision of. a display character mainly indirectly illuminated by obscured lighting means; and the provision of display structure admitting of convenient disassembly for cleaning and overhaul.

The spirit of the invention includes many variations most of which will be related in detail hereinafter, and accordingly appear illustrated in the accompanying drawingswherein:

. .Fl 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of a sig n tates Patent ice employing two characters constructed in accordance with the present invention, one of which represents a straight type letter, and the other a curved type;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section of the straight type letter of Fig. 1, the plane of section being taken along the line 22 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view in section of the curved type letter of Fig. 1, the plane of section being taken along the line designated 33 thereof;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the straight type character represented in Fig. l; and,

Fig. 5 is a view in section similar to Fig. 2 and depicting another modification of a character in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings and first to Fig. l, the letters H and S are depicted therein in front elevation. These letters were selected for illustration as being representative of typical construction illustrative of all of the letters of the alphabet, fancy borders or other characters which may be constructed in accordance with the teachings to follow.

Considering first the left-hand character of Fig. 1, there is provided a face 21 shown in the form of opaque outline defining means for the letter H. In the most generally practical form of the invention the face 21 is constructed of light weight material, for example, thin sheet metal, coated or painted dark. The face is provided with a continuous open channel 23 conforming in pattern to the character to be displayed. An inwardly directed, preferably opaque, flange 25 (Figs. 2 and '4) follows the contour of the channel 23, being integral with the face 21 or formed separately and secured thereto by riveting, spot welding or the like; Border sections or shading flanges 27 project beyond the face 21 and are shown secured thereto by means of metal screws 29; The shades 27 are comprised of light transmissive material, such as translucent plastic or resin generally of a methyl methacrylate base and colored as desired.

The character face 21 and shades 27 are spaced from a background 31 by sliding members 33 of opaque material appropriately secured to another peripheral flange 35 of the face 21 as by the metal screws 37 (Figs. 2 and 4). Generally speaking, the siding members attach to edges of the character face 21 which are free of the shades 27. The background 31 may represent the surface of a sign upon which the character is supported, the side of a building or a portion of the individual character. This surface is light in color to contrast with the dark character face 21 and siding members 33, the interior of the character generally represented at 41 (Fig. 4) preferably having an even lighter hue than the general background 31. Thus, it may be appreciated that four different colors or at least hues may be incorporated in the display of the single character described, beingv the background color, face and siding member color, interior light reflective surface and the color of the shades.

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Figs. 2 and 4 depict suitable means for illuminating the left-hand character of Fig. 1. The source of light is shown in the form of a luminous tube 51 spaced from the sign background 31 by insulator supports 53 securedin clamps 55 attached to the background surface and from to be obscured from the viewer by the opaque face of the. character. The tube extremities penetratejthe,

background surface 31 through insulators 73 where connection is made to a suitable transformer (not shown) in a manner well-known in the art.

Fig. 2 illustrates the various paths followed by light emanating from the tube 51, the channel 23 appearing as high intensity illumination, being supplied by light reflected from the interior character surface 41. Generally, it is desirable to paint all of the interior surfaces of the character a light color for reflection purposes. This applies to both sides of the flange 25, the inner surface of the face 21, and the inner sides of the siding members 33. However, the flanges 25 act as shields for the luminous tube 51 insofar as the viewer is concerned, thereby insuring only indirect illumination through the channel 23. On the other hand, light is passed either directly or indirectly or both ways through the shades 27 to the viewer. Depending upon the dimensions of the character, the flanges 25 are not always necessary to shield the lighting source. Accordingly, the word channel as used herein may refer to the opening 23 per se or the opening including its bounding structure. Preferably the exterior edges of the shades are provided with depending flanges 77 appropriately secured thereto, as by the screws 79, and terminating short of the background 31 to leave an opening 81 through which light is reflected to present the effect of glow at the edges of the shades which highlights the background along the opening. Diagonal bars 91 of opaque material span the shades 27 from the corners of the character face 21 to represent depth or third dimensional edges of the character when illuminated, the shades 27 appearing generally less saturated in color due to the light passed therethrough.

The siding members 33 may be conveniently secured to the background surface 31 by spot welding along the flanges 93 (Fig. 2) thereof or by metal screws as described in connection with the attachment of other parts of the character. The use of screws permits quick separation of the character from the background surface. For cleaning purposes the face 21 and associated shades 27 may be removed as a unit from the siding members 33 by merely removing the screws 37 fastening the outer flange of the face 21 to the siding members. Such structure permits signs comprising characters of the instant invention to be easily assembled at the sign site. However, if desired entire signs may be prefabricated using a thin metal sheet as the background 31 and then transported to a billboard or the like having guiding flanges to receive edges of the background sheet thereby enabling ready replacement or change of entire displays.

While the characters depicted are illustrated as employing drop shading, it is to be understood that the principles herein set forth obtain regardless of the type shading used. However, the use of drop shading permits the horizontal or upper portions of the siding mem bers 33 (Fig. 4) to be flat so that effectively the characters are .self draining. Of course the lower inner surfaces of the depending flanges 77 are also flat surfaces incapable of retaining water.

The right-hand character of Fig. 1 shown in the form of an S is intended to illustrate the applicability of the present invention to letters of the curved type. The structure depicted and the principles of operation generally conform to that previously described and accordingly the prime of the numbers heretofore used will be employed in the following description. The open channel 23 is indirectly illuminated by the tube 51 represented in dotted outline in the manner hereinbefore explained, the flanges 25' following the channel contour again serving as shields to prevent direct illumination of the channel. The tube 51' is held in position, spaced from the background 31' by the glass uprights 53 to which it 'is tied by the wires 59'. The opaque siding members 33' are depicted in dotted outline in Fig. 1 along the unshaded edges of the letter. The shading .4 flanges 27 may easily be recognized by following the configuration of the luminous tube 51' and noting that the tube is shown positioned partly beneath the shades and partly beneath the opaque face 21 (where shading is employed). It will be appreciated, of course, that this arrangement may be modified with the luminous tube 51' being moved entirely beneath the face 21' or outwardly of its present position beneath the shades 27'. The extremities of the tube 51' pass through the insulators 73 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 3) for connection to a suitable transformer as hereinbefore mentioned.

The shades 27 are provided with the depending peripheral flanges 77' of opaque material which terminate short of the background 31' to leave an opening 81 through which light is reflected to highlight the background providing the glow in the region of the shades to augment further the qualities of the display. It should be emphasized that the particular coloring of the shades, character face, character interior and background is not critical but the qualities of the display are improved when decided contrast is presented across the letter and optimum legibility is realized when the dark face is employed with the light background. Fancy script, symbols and the like may be constructed in accordance with the general principles above outlined.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 shows an arcuate shade 27 conveniently formed by molding and attached to the character face 21 to pass light from the source 51 in the manner of shades herein described. This type shade may of course be employed throughout the structure herein described in lieu of the planar type illustrated. It may also be appreciated that the position of the shades relative to the character face is only critical insofar as the character edges are concerned and therefore shades may occupy such positions coincident with or removed from the plane of the character.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A display comprising a substantially opaque character outline-defining means having an open channel therein conforming in pattern to a selected character outline, light transmissive border sections secured to a portion of the periphery of the outline-defining means and extending outwardly from the character outline and simulating the shadow cast by the character illuminated by light from an external source, light opaque side closure sections secured also to the periphery of the outlinedefining means and extending in a direction generally at right angles'to the plane of the border sections, one of said sections being opposed to the illuminating direction to form a support element for the display and to space the outline-defining means from a supporting surface, the said border sections and side closure members being located an opposite peripheral edges of the character outline with each side closure member section being arranged approximately opposite to a border section, the display being'adapted for illumination by light origimating in regions beneath the character and removed from the open channel so that light is visible through the bordersections and appears as illumination observable through the character outline conforming channel.

2. A three-dimensional shaded character comprising in combination, a slotted character face substantially defining at leasta pair of the dimensions of the character, siding members secured to selected portions of the periphery -of the character face and extending therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the character face to define a third dimensions of the character and to space the character face from a support surface, lighttransmissive shades extending outwardly from and bordering peripheral regions of the character face generally,

opposite to the siding members, and flanges extendiuginwardly of the character face in a direction substantially light-transmissive border sections secured to a portion of the periphery of the outline-defining means and extending outwardly therefrom in a direction away from the open channel and in a plane substantially coincident to the outline defining means and simulating the shadow cast when the character is illuminated by light from an external source, a backing member, light-opaque side closure sections secured to substantially all peripheral portions of the outline-defining means free from light-transmissive border sections, the side closure sections extending in a direction away from the simulated illuminating source and adapted for attaching the character outline to a backing member and spacing and supporting the character outline and the thereto attached light-transmissive border section from the backing member, said display being adapted for illumination by light actually originating in areas removed from the open channel and located beneath the character and between it and the plane whereat the side closure sections are adapted for attachment to a backing member so that light therefrom is visible as reflected illumination through the character outline conforming channel and the light-transmissive sections.

4. A three-dimensional shaded character comprising, in combination, a character face generally defining at least a pair of the dimensions of the character, the face having a continuous open channel therein conforming to the character face outline, light-opaque siding members secured to selected peripheral portions of the character face and extending therefrom in a direction generally normal to the character face from the selected peripheral portions to define a third dimension of the character and to space the character face from a light-reflecting supporting surface, a flange secured to the character face and extending along the channel therein in the direction of the third dimension, and light-transmissive shades bordering substantially that portion of the periphery of the character face which is generally free of connections of siding members, the light-transmissive shades extending outwardly from the character face with attachment thereto along one edge only and being also spaced from the supporting surface, said character being adapted for illumination by light originating in areas removed from the open channel and masked therefrom by the flanges so that light is visible as illumination through the channel and the shades.

5. A shaded character outline comprising a substantially opaque character outline-defining means having a continuous open channel therein of a configuration conforming to the selected character outline, light-transmissive border sections secured to a portion of the periphery of the outline-defining means and extending outwardly beyond the border thereof in cantilever fashion and simulating the shadow cast by the character if illuminated by light from an external source, a light-reflecting backing member, light-opaque side closure sections secured substantially to all peripheral edges of the character outline-defining means free from light transmissive border sections and extending in a direction normal to the reflecting backing member to space the outline-defining means therefrom, the character being adapted for illumination by light originating between the character outline-defining means and the backing member and removed from the open channel so that light is observable as reflected illumination through the character outline conforming channel and the light-transmissive border sections.

6. A shaded character outline comprising a substantially opaque character outline-defining means having a continuous open channel therein of a configuration conforming to the selected character outline, light-transmissive border sections secured to a portion of the periphery of the outline-defining means and extending beyond the border thereof in a direction generally coplanar thereto to simulate the shadow cast by the character if illuminated by light from an external source, a light-reflecting backing member, light-opaque side closure sections secured substantially to all peripheral edges of thecharacter outline-defining means free from light-transmissive border sections and extending in a direction normal to the refleeting backing member to space the outline-defining means therefrom, the character being adapted for illumination by light originating between the character outlinedefining means and the backing member and removed from the open channel so that light is observable as reflected illumination through the character outline conforming channel and also serve to illuminate the lighttransmissive border sections.

7. The shaded character claimed in claim 6 comprising, in addition, a flange extending inwardly from all edges of the open channel in a direction toward the lightreflecting backing member and for a portion of the distance by which the character outline-defining means is spaced from the backing member by the siding members to shield the open channel from direct illumination from a light source located between the character outline-defining means and the light-reflecting backing member and in a region spaced from direct view through the open channel.

8. A three-dimensional shaded character for attachment to a, light-reflecting background comprising a character face indicative of the height and Width of the character, the character face having a continuous open channel therein substantially conforming to the character face outline, opaque siding members secured to a portion of the periphery of thecharacter face for spacing the character face from the background by a distance corresponding to the desired depth of thecharacter, lighttransmissive shades and secured substantially to those peripheral portions of the character face free from lightopaque siding members with the outer edge thereof overhanging the character face and spaced from the backing member by at least a portion of the character depth, and lighting means generally conforming to the general configuration of the channel and obscured from direct view by the character :face in regions removed from the open channel to direct light against the background for reflection through the open channel and the light-transmissive shades to simulate the character outline and shadow which would be the case by illuminating the character from an external source.

9. A shaded display character comprising a substantially opaque character outline-defining means having a continuous open channel therein conforming to the selected character outline, a light-opaque flange extending along the edges of the channel and depending from the character outline-defining means, light-transmissive border sections secured to a portion of the periphery of the outline-defining means and extending therebeyond as an overhanging element with one edge attached to the outline-defining means and providing an overhanging portion adapted to simulate the shadow cast by the character illuminated by light from an external. source, a light-reflecting backing member, light-opaque side closure sections extending outwardly from substantially all peripheral portions of the outline-defining means free from light-transmissive border sections to form a support element for the display, the display as a whole being adapted for illumination by light originating between the background member and the character outline-defining means and shielded from the open channel by the light-opaque flange so that the light observable through the open channel is reflected from the background member and light observable through the lighttransmissive border sections is at least partially reflected from the background member.

10. The shaded character display claimed in ,claim 9 comprising, in addition, a depending flange extending inwardly in the direction of the background member along the outer peripheral portions of the light-transmissive shades.

11. A shaded sign comprising a background element, a character having a slotted character face, light-permeable shading flanges supported along selected peripheral portions of the character to project outwardly therefrom, the character also comprising depending lightopaque flanges extending from substantially those peripheral portions free from the light-permeable shading flanges to space the character from the background element and to support the character therefrom, and lighting means obscured by the character face from direct viewing to develop light to be directed outwardly through the slotted character face and the shading flanges.

12. A display comprising a substantially opaque character outline-defining means having a continuous open channel therein of a pattern conforming to the selected character outline, light-transmissive border sections extending outwardly and generally coplanar with respect to the character outline-defining means and secured to at least a portion of the periphery of the outline-defining means to simulate and add color to the shadow cast by the character illuminated by light from an external source, the said character outline-defining means being darkcolored on the surface thereof to be viewed and lightreflective on the surface opposed to the first-mentioned surface, light-opaque side closure sections secured substantially to that portion of the character outline-defining means free from the light-transmissive border sections and extending in a direction generally opposed to the direction from which the illumination is simulated and serving to space the display from a light-reflecting support surface, the display being adapted for actual il- 8 lumination by light originating in areas removed from the open channel and in the region between the outlinedefining means and the supporting surface so that the light is visible only indirectly through the open channel and also is observable through the lighbtransmissive border sections.

13. A display comprising a dark-colored opaque character outline-defining means having a continuous open channel therein conforming in pattern to the selected character outline, light-transmissive border sections secured to at least a portion of the outline-defining means and extending outwardly from edges thereof to simulate the shadow cast by the character if illuminated by light from an external source, a light-colored backing member, light-opaque side closure sections secured to substantially the peripheral portions of the outline-defining means free from light-transmissive border sections and extending in'a direction away from theassumed external source for attachment to the backing member to space the outline-defining means from the backing member and to support it therefrom, the display being adapted for illumination by light originating in areas removed from the open channel so that light observable through the open channel is only reflected light fromthe light-reflecting surface of the backing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany June 6, 

